


First Victory

by ironicallyirredeemable



Series: Modern Marriage AU [2]
Category: Still Star-Crossed (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Valentine's In Verona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 19:59:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18611479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicallyirredeemable/pseuds/ironicallyirredeemable
Summary: First year law student Rosaline is fighting to find a loophole in her aunt and uncle's contest of her parents' will. She finds an unexpected ally in Benvolio. Modern AU. (Week 1 prompt for UnwrittenMusings 'Valentines in Verona' prompt)





	First Victory

Rosaline had been hunched over the paperwork for days now. She couldn’t wrap her head around it all (“I’m only a first year law student Jules” “Romeo’s cousin can help you!”). A clause in her father’s will revealed that Rosaline and Livia would control large shares of the family trust once they turned 25 unless all three Capulet girls were married, in which the money could be released sooner. It shouldn’t have mattered much but now Juliet had eloped, fulfilling a third of the agreement earlier than expected, and Rosaline’s aunt was floundering, looking for a way to trap them all while she still had full control over Rosaline and Livia’s money.

“How can she even contest the will?” Benvolio calls out.

Rosaline sighs and falls back against the couch, taking a break from straining her eyes to listen to Benvolio fumble around her kitchen.

“Technically my uncle is. He has the legal standing to be able to and enough power to convince a lawyer to dig up a will over a decade old.”

The floorboards creak as he makes his way back to the couch. "If my uncle wasn’t so tickled at their frustration, and at the potential to grab up Capulet money, he’d be disowning Romeo himself.“

He hands a steaming mug to Rosaline before plopping down next to her. Benvolio, she hates to admit, has been surprisingly helpful. She takes a slow sip, watching Benvolio sift through the papers spilling over her coffee table.

“Why are you helping me?” The question slips out before she fully processed it but she doesn’t take it back or correct herself.

Benvolio pauses, his hand hovering over another photocopied encyclopedia page. He flips it before he answers her.

"I almost filed for emancipation when I turned 15. Guess you could say I’m still enticed by the idea of getting away.”

Rosaline holds his gaze as Benvolio looks back at her.

“What stopped you?”

“Couldn’t even afford the filing fee.” For a moment, his smile is bitter. Rosaline catches it before his expression shifts back to his familiar smirk.

Benvolio knocks her knee with his elbow. "But I learned a lot about jumping through legal hoops. And your aunt seems like a bit of a ringmaster.“

Rosaline leans forward with a groan. "The kind the lions run from. If this all happened eight months from now we’d be…well, not fine but in a much better position.”

“Even when you’re 25, you’ll only have access to your portion of the trust.”

“I know - but that money would help start the process of unshackling Livia and Juliet.”

“Unshackling?”

“I didn’t put myself in debt to not, at least, diversify my vocabulary.”

There’s a smile poorly hidden behind the rim of his mug. She glares and his smile grows. Rosaline shakes her head and turns her attention to the mess in front of her. Not truly reading any of the words, she mindlessly sifts through the paper out of habit.

“They just couldn’t wait.” Benvolio’s voice breaks her trance.

Rosaline places the mug on the table and stands. "Juliet has apologized a thousand times - even though it’s not her fault.“

She cracks her back, twisting from side to side, trying to pull the tension out of her body.

“It would be endearing if it wasn’t so reckless.”

Benvolio is already looking up at her when she glances down with furrowed brows.

“Eloping?”

“Running away,” he emphasizes. “Even better to do so out of love, not out of fear.” Benvolio’s reply comes out soft, his voice deeper. Heat pools in Rosaline’s stomach and she knows it’s not from the tea.

She ignores the feeling.

“Quite the romantic, aren’t you?”

A wolfish grin spreads across his face. “Well my reputation precedes me.” Benvolio’s mask is back in place.

Rosaline rolls her eyes. Taking a few steps away, she continues to stretch. Between the will petition and her blooming comfort with Benvolio, her mind is spinning. She wants to attribute her confusion to the overwhelming stress of the whole situation but the moments when Benvolio’s gaze causes her pause keep increasing. Bending until her muscles burn only causes a brief distraction but she’ll take what she can get a this point.

"Isabella is calling you?”

Rosaline snaps up from her toe touch. Benvolio is holding out her phone and sure enough, a grinning Isabella is flashing across her screen. Rosaline nearly collides with Benvolio as she crashes back down on the couch, swiping her phone from his grasp on the way down.

“How’s my favorite L1?”

“Pretty sure my eyes are going to start bleeding soon but I’ve heard finals week is worse.”

Judging by Benvolio’s expression, Isabella’s laugh is loud enough to ring outside of the speaker. “Oh it is. Bleeding eyes will be the least of your worries.”

Rosaline grimaces. “Did you call to just terrify me for fun or-?”

Isabella exclaims, her mouth muffled for a moment. “I’ve got good news for you Ros.”

Rosaline sits straighter, shifts her grip and listens, unblinkingly, as Isabella explains.

“Got a tip that the medical records aren’t strong enough. Your aunt and uncle could still try again but it’ll be harder. The judge will likely dismiss the contest.”

“Holy shit.”

“What?” Benvolio is shifting in her peripheral, leaning closer. “What is it?”

“Amazing right! I gotta run Ros, but we need to celebrate this!”

Rosaline nods then stumbles out, “yeah yeah of course. Talk to you later.”

Benvolio is still hovering at her side. She registers the heat from his palm before actually seeing his hand on her knee.

“Hey, whatever it was, we can still beat them -”

Rosaline squeals and launches herself at Benvolio. Arms around his shoulders, she buries her face in his neck. Benvolio is shocked silent. Rosaline takes a few deep breaths. She doesn’t know whether to cry or laugh and ends up doing a little of both.

Benvolio is rubbing her back when he asks, “so good news then?”

When she pulls back, his smile is wide and goofy. She loves it. The strength of her revelation is jarring. Rosaline can’t shake this feeling away as easily as before.

“The medical records - they’re out. Isabella thinks the judge will probably throw the whole case now.” Her tongue trips over the words at first but she is able to relay the news without bursting.

Benvolio’s grasp shifts to her shoulders. He squeezes and the tension Rosaline was working to stretch out simultaneously melts away and is replaced by something else.

“That’s amazing!”

“I know - I can’t believe we did it!“

"Yeah, we did,” Benvolio repeats in the soft, deep voice from before.

“I mean I didn’t do much but -”

“You fought back Rosaline, don’t diminish that.”

His words settle over her and she’s left nearly dizzy as the past few moments register in her mind. The urge to draw closer to Benvolio is like an invisible hand pushing her forward.

Rosaline leans back. Her shoulders slip from his hold. Benvolio’s kilowatt smile dials down.

“I really appreciate you, “she rushes out, “for helping me work through all of this.”

“We’re a pretty good team, who knew?” He grabs his mug and lifts it high. “Here’s to our first victory.”

Rosaline rolls her eyes but can’t help smiling as she grabs her own mug and clinks it against Benvolio’s.

“Are we a crime fighting duo now?” she jokes.

“Yes! You get the degree, making us legit, and I’ll design our shirts. You can be in charge of our cool nicknames too I guess.”

“Oh how benevolent of you.”

He shrugs. “Gotta put that debt to work right?”

She laughs. He beams and leans in to her tinkling laughter, ready to peel more out of her when her phone rings again.

“Livia! Perfect timing.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a bit rusty in fanfic writing, late to posting this and definitely did not complete the other prompts in the challenge. But my interest in Rosvolio, their individual characterization and the build up of their relationship, has pushed me to dust off a corner of my brain and hopefully put it to good use. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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